We left off at Wellington, getting ready to depart on the Interislander Ferry, eagerly anticipating the promise of rugged mountains and massive glaciers. The ferry ride itself was pretty uneventful, save for another helping of fish and chips and a number of the staff in full Halloween gear (we took the ferry on October 31st after all). We arrived in the sleepy seaside town of Picton, full of charm, a couple pubs, and kabob/pizza shop. It was mostly a stopover, as we would depart the next day for Blenheim.
The vast majority of New Zealand wines are made in this region due to the very specific combination of valleys, proximity to the sea, and the amount of sunshine it gets. Please don’t ask me to regurgitate any of the information I learned on the wine tour. All I know is that people are EXTREMELY invested in the science of grapes and wine production. We keep doing wine tastings without actually retaining very much of the information, but it’s always very interesting at the time, and fun to swirl wine around and proclaim that you’re tasting hints of stone fruit and/or earth.
After faking an educated palate for a couple days, we would embark on our longest drive to Franz Josef/Fox Glacier. In “glacier country,” we would get the chance to hike on one of the two glaciers that people are allowed to visit in New Zealand. HOWEVER… Just like at the Tongariro Alpine Crossing, there was a reasonable chance that weather would thwart our adventures. After all, it had been 12 days since the last helicopter tour landed on the glacier. Our morning time was canceled because the staff had to fly out and create new pathways. Apparently, more than a week of precipitation tends to substantially change hiking paths on a glacier. At any rate, we were fortunate enough to take off in the afternoon. It was the first time on a helicopter for both of us. I remember feeling like it looked like a giant predatory insect as it swooped into the helipad - I was far too close to escape it at this point, and I was almost certain to become chopper food.
After getting over the fear of being consumed by a giant heli-mantis (hilarious, Peter), we boarded and took a short flight to the base of the glacier. It was a thing to behold - it towered over us in the sun, clouds passing around us. Despite its size, it was a somber realization that since 2008, Franz Josef Glacier had lost at least 800 meters of length. This isn’t to say that glaciers don’t change in size over time, but 800 meters in 14 years happens to be an incredible amount of loss for that period of time. It was one of those moments that made me wonder if I should be there at all, but out of the 2900 glaciers in New Zealand, these are the only two that people are allowed on, so I suppose that’s some comfort. The experience itself was pretty incredible. We drank glacier water, explored it at a very safe, slow pace with our crampons (not croutons?), then made our return to the helicopter to get back to town. Considering the glacier, the local hikes, and the general charm of the town, it’s safe to say I would come back if given the chance.
After leaving Fox Glacier, we would have a stop over in Te Anau, rest up for a night, then enjoy the famous Milford Sound cruise the next day. Apparently Milford Sound isn’t a sound so much as it is a fiord. If that makes sense to you, your topography vocab is much better than mine. A fiord is a flooded glacial valley and a sound is a flooded river valley. Regardless, the cruise is totally worth it. The steep cliffs dive deep down into the water below, and it was unlike anything I had seen. In true New Zealand fashion, you only ever really see a fraction of fiordlands, the rest being protected and undeveloped. Totally fine by me.
Last but not least, we made it to Queenstown, which is the adventure capital of the country. Sure it has parts that are a bit touristy, but overall it’s a reasonably small town with an incredible lake surrounded by mountains - what’s not to love? I’ll tell you: average pizza. But let’s face it, that’s sort of my speed anyway! If you try to make pizza too fancy, it’s no good. If you like artisan thin pizza with prosciutto, figs, goat cheese, and hot honey (and some misplaced green object maybe?), feel free to UNSUBSCRIBE. Just kidding, that’s okay. Just don’t do that around me, okay? We stayed in a very cool “smart hotel” in Queenstown where they had a sick rooftop and a free coffee machine. Peter made sure to try every single coffee item available.
From there we bid farewell to the Kiwi Nation, and flew to Sydney. I loved New Zealand and would recommend it to just about anybody. It’s beautiful, there’s lots to do, and the people are very cool.
WHAT WAS THE COOLEST THING?
It’s hard to beat hiking on a glacier, so I would have to say it was that. It was also our first time in a helicopter, which was a heck of an experience in and of itself. Hanging out in Queenstown might be the runner-up for me. Samesies.
DO YOU HAVE ANY MISCELLANEOUS THOUGHTS ABOUT NEW ZEALAND???
Wow I’m so glad you asked! I do!
I am by no means an expert on NZ history or current culture. However, two things really stuck out to me at multiple points in the trip. First, NZ’s relationship with the Maori (indigenous Polynesian people of NZ/Aotearoa), and the collective sense of care for the environment. Everyone is required to study the Maori language in school. To me, that’s pretty remarkable because it’s not exactly a language that's used all over the world. It speaks to the sense that Maori language and culture has intrinsic value - it’s not something that you’re going to use to get ahead in international business, but it’s something that’s going to help you understand the history of your country and the people who came before. I also understand that there are seats in parliament specifically reserved for those of Maori descent. Again, I’m not saying that I’m an expert and that the country doesn’t have its own set of cultural issues, but I couldn’t help but compare it to the way Native Americans are/were treated in the US. Sure, it was taught to some degree in middle school, but I can confidently say that in NZ there’s more of a sense of integration and respect for the indigenous people.
Second, I really appreciate that environmental awareness/responsibility feels like a duty that everyone embraces. There’s nothing political/partisan about it. They may have disagreements about specific ways things should be managed (like the use of poison to control the possum population), but everyone really seems to have a genuine concern over making sure that the natural beauty is preserved, and that certain lands really shouldn’t be developed or turned into tourist attractions.
MAYBE YOU SHOULD MARRY THIS COUNTRY IF YOU LOVE IT SO MUCH
Yea, maybe I should. But it’s pretty far away sooooooo… maybe not!
Do you have any questions for us about NZ? If so, drop them in the comments!
Peter + Shriya